Hydrotherapy apparatus for feet



Dec. 7, 1943. w, ROCKE HYDRO'IHERAPY APPARATUS FOR FEET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1941 Dec. 7, 1943. w. ROCKE HYDROTHERAPY APPARATUS FOR FEET Filed Sept 29, 1 941 2 Sheets-Sheet *2.

"Hui i which:

places his feet in the tub ll.

Patented 7, 1943 HYDROTHERAPY APPARATUS FOR FEET William Rocke, South Bend, Ind. Application September 29, 1941, Serial No. 412,796

14 Claims.

This invention relates to a hydrotherapy appara-tus, and particularly to a special form of such a device. for treating feet and legs. It is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 392,646, filed May 9, 1941, now Patent No.

2,280,979, granted April 28, 1942, for Hydrotherapy circulator, which utilizes the apparatus described and claimed in my Patents Re. 20,424 and 2,250,315.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a hydrotherapy apparatus for treating feet and legs which will create circulating water currents from an annular discharge orifice into which air may be injected in variable amounts to create uniformly distributed currents discharged radially outwardly to provide means to variably massage the feet by varying the position of the feet in relation to the discharge orifice and the amount of injected air.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings, in

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevational view of a preferred form of my device mounted in a cabinet; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken end elevational view, partly in section, of the apparatus as it would appear on the section line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the patients feet being treated by water and air currents, as will later tie-explained.

Now referring to Fig. 1, showing a preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a relatively low cabinet ID in which I mount a tub i I having a perforate partition l2. In the bottom of the tub II I mount my centrifugal pump I 3 which has an annular discharge orifice it above the partition l2. An air inlet tube i 5 is mounted centrally on the pump casing and at its top is a valve l6 for controlling the flow of air. The section of the cabinet over the tub is closed by a lid i1 hinged at l8, and it will be understood that the tub ll may be uncovered by swinging the lid l1 outwardly. The pump is driven by a motor l9 through a conventional belt and pulley drive 20. The motor side of the cabinet is covered by a lid 2| supported by the hinge 22'. It will be understood that by this arrangement the lid 2| forms a convenient seat for the patient, who The lid 2|, when opened outwardly, uncovers a convenient upply compartment 23.

Now referring to Fig. 2, my centrifugal pump l3- has been fully described in my previous applications and patents, and for the purpose of this disclosure will not be described in detail. It will be observed that the annular orifice i4 is located above and closely adjacent the partition l2 which has an annular inlet opening [2a around its outer rim to permit inlet water to flow to the pump i3. The air inlet tube I5 is mounted on top of the pump housing by any conventional means and is provided with a conventional rotating valve l8 wherein the outer shell of the valve is provided with openings l6a communicating with opening llibin the tube l5. It is understood that by rotating the valve I6 air in variable amounts may be permitted to flow through the tube l5 or, at the will of the operator, the air may be comp te y shut off. The downwardly flowing air through the tube l5 flows through annular openings 24 and the thin, fiat passageway 25 immediately under the flat top of the pump l3 to an annular injector jet 26 overhanging and closely adjacent the annular discharge orifice l4. As is well understood in the art, this is the well known injector principle wherein the vacuum created by the outwardly flowing water current through the orifice l4 induces a flow of air through the orifice 26. nular orifices l4 and 26 provide a structure which induces radially outward water currents over the partition l2 which flow upwardly, then inwardly and downwardly in the center of the tank. This flow is shown diagrammatically by arrows in the left half of the tank in Fig. 2. On the right half of the tank in Fig. 2 I show diagrammatically how air through the orifice 26 is injected into these water currents and how air generally follows the course of these currents. As has heretofore been explained, the volume of air is controlled by the valve l6, and this variable fiow of air in the water currents provides a variable massaging efiect, as is well understood in the art.

At F-l I show the patients foot held angularly on the partition l2 with the bottom of the foot and the outward sides of the legs subjected to heavy water currents; At the right-hand side, at F-Z, I show the patients foot supported by the platform formed by the flat top of the housing of the pump l3, close to theair tube 15 and with a large volume of air being induced into the water currents. It will be appreciated that the bottom of the foot, F-2, is now being subjected more to suction than to pressure, with the leg and foot more gently massaged by the flow of lighter water currents and air bubbles. It will also be appreciated that many combinations of positions between the two described are available, and further that the tub ii may be varied in depth to rovide treatment for the entire leg if necessary, with the water line WL being adjusted to suit these variable conditions. Under some of these conditions I may desire to eliminate the central air tube l5, and this can readily be done as, for instance, by providing a rubber tube which may be positioned closely adjacent the side of the tank, out Of the way of the patient.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided a hydrotherapy device for treating feet and limbs wherein variable massag- It will be appreciated that the an a centrifugal pump mounted in the bottom of the tank having an inlet below the partition and a ring discharge orifice for divergent wate currents abovethe partition, an annular air inlet in injection relationship .to the discharge orifice, and means to convey air to the air inlet.

2. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a cabi-' net including a seat, a water tank in said cabinet adjacent the seat. a perforate partition near the bottom of the tank, a centrifugal pum mounted in the bottom of the tank having an inlet below the partition and a ring discharge orifice for divergent water currents above the partition, an annular air inlet in injection relationship to the discharge orifice, means to convey air to the air inlet, and valve means within reach of a seated patient for controlling the flow of air.

3. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a cabinet including a seat, a water tank in said cabinet adjacent the seat, a perforate partition nearthe bottom of the tank, a centrifugal pump mounted in the bottom of the tank having an inlet below the partition and a discharge orifice above the partition, a pump drive motor mounted within the cabinet, an air inlet in injection relationship to the discharge orifice, and means to convey air to the air inlet.

4. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a cabinet including a seat, a water tank in said cabinet adjacent the seat, a perforate partition near the bottom of the tank, a centrifugal pump mounted in the bottom of the tank having an inlet below the partition and a discharge orifice above the partition, a pump drive motor mounted within the cabinet, an air inlet in injection relationship to the discharge orifice, means to convey air to the air inlet, and valve means within reach of a seated patient for controlling the flow of air.

5. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a water tank, a centrifugal pump mounted adjacent the bottom of the tank having divergent discharge orifices, air inlets in injection relationship to the discharge orifices, means to convey air to the air inlets, and valve means for controlling the flow of air whereby diverging water currents of varicentrifugal recirculating pump mounted in the bottom of the tank having a guarded inlet and a ring discharge orifice, an annular air inlet in injection relationship to the end of the discharge orifice, and means to convey air to the air inlet.

7. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a cabinet including a seat, a water tank in said cabinet adjacent the seat, a centrifugal pump mounted in the bottom of the tank having a guarded inlet and an annular discharge orifice, a ring air inlet in injection relationship to the end of the discharge orifice, means to conve air to the air inlet, and valve means within the reach of a seated patient for controlling the flow of air whereby variable massage effects are available to the patient.

8. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, a cabinet including a seat, a water tank in the cabinet adjacent the seat, a centrifugal pump mounted adjacent the bottom of the tank, a pump drive motor mounted within the cabinet under the seat, a discharge orifice from the pump for divergent water currents, air inlet mean in injection relationship to the discharge orifice, and valve means accessible to the seated patient for controlling the fiow of air whereb variable massage effects are available to and under control of the patient.

9. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank, of a recirculating pump having a water discharge orifice in the tank, and an air conduit having an air discharge orifice in injector relation with the water discharge orifice for forcing air discharge therefrom and mixture with the water by the force of the water discharge.

10. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank having a perforate partition near the bottom thereof, of a pump mounted in the bottom of the tank with an inlet below the partition and a discharge orifice above the partition in the tank, and an air conduit having an air discharge orifice in injector relation with the water discharge orifice for forcing air discharge therefrom and mixture with the water by the force of the water discharge.

11. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank, of a recirculating pump mounted in the bottom of the tank and including a pump housing having a water discharge orifice, said housing having an air passageway through the upper portion thereof to a point in close proximity to the water discharge orifice in injector relation therewith.

12; In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank, of a recirculating pump mounted in the bottom of the tank and including a pump housing having a peripheral water discharge orifice, said housing having an air passageway through the upper portion thereof with a peripheral air discharge opening in close proximity to the water discharge orifice in injector relation therewith.

13. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank, of a recirculating pump mounted in the bottom of-the tank and including a pump housing having a peripheral water discharge orifice, said housing having an air passageway through the upper portion thereof with a peripheral air discharge opening in close proximity to the water discharge orifice in injector relation therewith, said pump housing having a downturned peripheral flange projecting downwardly approximately over the air discharge opening to deflect the air therefrom into the water discharge.

14. In a hydrotherapy device for feet, the combination with a water tank, of a recirculating pump mounted in the bottom of the tank and including a pump housing having a, peripheral water discharge orifice, said housing having an 

